• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1610-1615
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• 2019

Positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) scanning has the advantage of less additional exposure to radiation than does PET/computed tomography (CT). In particular, MR based attenuation correction (MR AC) can greatly affect the image quality of PET and is frequently obtained using various MR sequences. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to quantitatively compare the image quality between MR non-AC (MR NAC) and MR AC in PET images with three MR sequences. Percent image uniformity (PIU), percent contrast recovery (PCR), and percent background variability (PBV) were estimated to evaluate the quality of PET images with MR AC. Based on the results of PIU, 15.2% increase in the average quality was observed for PET images with MR AC than for PET images with MR NAC. In addition, 28.6% and 71.1% improvement in the average results of PCR and PBV respectively, was observed for PET images with MR AC compared with that with MR NAC. Moreover, no significant difference was observed among the average values using three MR sequences. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that PET with MR AC improved the image quality and can be help diagnosis in all MR sequence cases.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of hold-relax and antagonist contraction (HR-AC) technique and Kinesio taping on pain changes in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) of 20's adults. Methods: Based on voluntary participation, 14 participants with induced-DOMS were randomly divided into control (non-treatment, n=7) and experiment group (HR-AC technique and kinesio taping, n=7). Measurement were used visual analogue scale (VAS), heart rate variability (HRV), and brain wave (alpha). There were 5 sets of the HR-AC technique application on the 5th day from the day of DOMS induction (rest for 30s between sets). Kinesio taping was applied to the same area after HR-AC. Results: The VAS showed significant changes according to the period and in the interaction between the period and the group (p<.01). HRV and alpha wave (Fp1) showed significant changes according to the period (p<.001). The analgesic effect was more rapid and continuous in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusion: This study showed that the HR-AC technique and Kinesio taping are effective interventions for the management of pain and stress caused by DOMS.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2021

Background: Traditional safety concept, which is called Safety-I, and its relevant methods and models have much contributed toward enhancing the safety of industrial systems. However, they have proved insufficient to be applied to complex socio-technical systems. As an alternative, Safety-II and resilience engineering have emerged and gained much attention for the last two decades. However, it seems that safety professionals have still difficulty understanding their fundamental concepts and methods. Accordingly, it is necessary to offer an introductory guide to them that helps safety professionals grasp them correctly in consideration of their current practices. Methods: This article firstly explains the limitations of Safety-I and how Safety-II can resolve them from the four points of view. Next, the core concepts of resilience engineering and Functional Resonance Analysis Method are described. Results: Workers' performance adjustment and performance variability due to it should be the basis for understanding human-related accidents in socio-technical systems. It should be acknowledged that successful and failed work performance have the same causes. However, they are not well considered in the traditional safety concept; in contrast, Safety-II and resilience engineering have conceptual bases and practical approaches to reflect them systematically. Conclusion: It is necessary to move from a find-and-fix and reactive approach to a proactive approach to safety management. Safety-II and resilience engineering give a set of useful concepts and methods for proactive safety management. However, if necessary, Safety-I methods need to be properly used for situations where they can still be useful as well.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 2020

Background: Most job exposure matrices (JEMs) have been developed for chemical and physical hazards in the United States (US). In addition, the overall validity of most JEMs of work organization hazards using self-reported data in the literature remains to be further tested due to several methodological weaknesses. Methods: This paper aims to review important methodological issues with regard to a JEM of work organization hazards using self-report data and to present a research protocol for developing a four-axis (job titles, hazards, sex, and time) JEM of major work organization hazards using the US General Social Survey-Quality of Work-Life (GSS-QWL) data (2002-2018; N = 7,100 workers). Results: Five methodological weaknesses in existing JEMs of work organization hazards using self-report data were identified: having only two axes (hazard and occupation), using psychometrically weak items and scales, including scales having little interoccupational variability, unresolved optimal minimum numbers of subjects per occupation, and low accessibility. The methodological weaknesses were successfully addressed in the proposed research protocol. Conclusion: The work organization JEM to be developed will significantly facilitate and strengthen occupational epidemiological studies on work organization hazards and major health outcomes, improve national and occupational surveillance of work organization hazards, and promote interventions for a healthy work environment in the US.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.197-207
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Endoscopic visualization of the microscopic anatomy can facilitate the real-time diagnosis of pancreatobiliary disorders and provide guidance for treatment. This study aimed to review the technique, image classification, and diagnostic performance of confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE). Methods: We conducted a systematic review of CLE in pancreatic and biliary ducts of humans, and have provided a narrative of the technique, image classification, diagnostic performance, ongoing research, and limitations. Results: Probe-based CLE differentiates malignant from benign biliary strictures (sensitivity, ≥89%; specificity, ≥61%). Needle-based CLE differentiates mucinous from non-mucinous pancreatic cysts (sensitivity, 59%; specificity, ≥94%) and identifies dysplasia. Pancreatitis may develop in 2-7% of pancreatic cyst cases. Needle-based CLE has potential applications in adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and pancreatitis (chronic or autoimmune). Costs, catheter lifespan, endoscopist training, and interobserver variability are challenges for routine utilization. Conclusions: CLE reveals microscopic pancreatobiliary system anatomy with adequate specificity and sensitivity. Reducing costs and simplifying image interpretation will promote utilization by advanced endoscopists.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2001

The quantification analysis of renal scintigraphy is strongly affected by the location, shape and size of region of interest(ROI). When ROIs are drawn manually, these ROIs are not reproducible due to the operators' subjective point of view, and may lead to inconsistent results even if the same data were analyzed. In this study, the effect of the ROI variation on the analysis of renal scintigraphy when the ROIs are drawn manually was investigated, and in order to obtain more consistent results, methods for automated ROI definition were developed and the results from the application of the developed methods were analyzed. Relative renal function, glomerular filtration rate and mean transit time were selected as clinical parameters for the analysis of the effect of ROI and the analysis tools were designed with the programming language of IDL5.2. To obtain renal scintigraphy, $^{99m}$Tc-DTPA was injected to the 11 adults of normal condition and to study the inter-operator variability, 9 researchers executed the analyses. The calculation of threshold using the gradient value of pixels and border tracing technique were used to define renal ROI and then the background ROI and aorta ROI were defined automatically considering anatomical information and pixel value. The automatic methods to define renal ROI were classified to 4 groups according to the exclusion of operator's subjectiveness. These automatic methods reduced the inter-operator variability remarkably in comparison with manual method and proved the effective tool to obtain reasonable and consistent results in analyzing the renal scintigraphy quantitatively.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.6_1
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• pp.1101-1117
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• 2018

The clear sky radiance (CSR) is one of the baseline products of the Himawari-8 which was launched on October, 2014. The CSR contributes to numerical weather prediction (NWP) accuracy through the data assimilation; especially water vapor channel CSR has good impact on the forecast in high level atmosphere. The focus of this study is the quality analysis of the CSR of the Himawari-8 geostationary satellite. We used the operational CSR (or clear sky brightness temperature) products in JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) as observation data; for a background field, we employed the CSR simulated using the Radiative Transfer for TOVS (RTTOV) with the atmospheric state from the global model of KMA (Korea Meteorological Administration). We investigated data characteristics and analyzed observation minus background statistics of each channel with respect to regional and seasonal variability. Overall results for the analysis period showed that the water vapor channels (6.2, 6.9, and $7.3{\mu}m$) had a positive mean bias where as the window channels(10.4, 11.2, and $12.4{\mu}m$) had a negative mean bias. The magnitude of biases and Uncertainty result varied with the regional and the seasonal conditions, thus these should be taken into account when using CSR data. This study is helpful for the pre-processing of Himawari-8/Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) CSR data assimilation. Furthermore, this study also can contribute to preparing for the utilization of products from the Geo-Kompsat-2A (GK-2A), which will be launched in 2018 by the National Meteorological Satellite Center (NMSC) of KMA.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.623-634
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• 2000

This study was conducted to analyze the patterns associated with the short-term variability of CO$_2$ concentrations over 24-h scale within and across the Korean Peninsula. In the course of our study, we compared the data sets obtained from Moo-Ahn (MAN) station located in the far western coastal area of Korea with those determined from major background observatory stations around the world from the periods of Aug. 1995 to Dec. 1997. The mean CO$_2$ concentration of the MAN area for the whole study periods, when computed using the daily mean values, was found out to be 374.5${\pm}$6.6 ppm (N=884); seasonal mean values were found out to be 378${\pm}$5.2 (spring: N=181), 372${\pm}$10.2 (summer: N =210), 372${\pm}$7.2 (fall: N=243), and 376${\pm}$5.4 ppm (winter: N=206). When the data from MAN was compared with those of major background stations, the effects of both daily and seasonal components appear to vary distinctively across different stations. Those effects are expected to reflect the mixed effects of various factors which include: seasonal pollution patterns, weather conditions, vegetation, and so forth. Based upon this comparative analysis, we suspect that the MAN area is under the strong influence of anthropogenic source processes relative to all the other stations under consideration. If that is not the case, the existence of enhanced CO$_2$ level may be rather ubiquitous phenomena in Korea. More detailed inspection of CO$_2$ behavior from various respects is strongly desired in the future.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.263-270
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• 2019

Background: The gelada baboon, Theropithecus gelada Ruppell, 1835, is an endemic primate of the central and western highlands of Ethiopia occurring between altitudes of 1800-4400 m. Variability in activity time budget between the two gelada social units, i.e., one-male units (OMUs) and all-male units (AMUs), has not been studied previously. Thus, the present study was an effort to understand intra- and inter-variations in group size and daily activity time budget in gelada baboon OMUs and AMUs at Guassa Community Conservation Area, Central Ethiopia. The instantaneous sampling method was used in the data collection. Results: Both OMU and AMU groups allocated more time for feeding (OMUs = 36.96%; AMUs = 35%) followed by moving (OMU = 25.8%; AMUs = 27%). Grooming was the most frequent social activity in both family groups (OMUs = 8.56%; AMUs = 11.81%). OMUs and AMUs did not show significant variation between themselves in the time budget and temporal distribution of their daily activities. However, the overall variation in the time budget allocated for daily activities within OMUs and AMUs was statistically significant (p < 0.05%). The different age and sex groups in OMUs (i.e., immature, sub-adult females, subordinate males, adult females, and alpha males) showed statistically significant variation in their time budget allocation for the daily activities (p < 0.05) except for feeding and moving. Alpha males had the highest proportion of resting (32.14%) and aggression (31.92%). Immature individuals were responsible for > 90% of the time budget recorded for playing while adult females showed the highest frequency of grooming. Group size of OMUs ranged between 5 and 15 individuals (mean ± SD = 11.25 ± 1.95). Adult females comprised the highest number within OMUs (mean = 4.5) followed by immature individuals (mean = 3). The group size of AMUs ranged from 4 to 8 (mean ± SD = 6.6 ± 1.5). Conclusion: Our results showed that the gelada baboon spent less time on foraging compared to previous studies at the Simien Mountains and Debre-Libanos area. We suggested this variation could be explained based on higher forage quality at Guassa Community Conservation Area resulting from better conservation of the habitat.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2018

Background: Obstructive airway disease patients with increased variability of airflow and incompletely reversible airflow obstruction are often categorized as having asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS). ACOS is heterogeneous with two sub-phenotypes: asthma-ACOS and COPD-ACOS. The objective of this study was to determine the difference in risk of exacerbation between the two sub-phenotypes of ACOS. Methods: A total of 223 patients exhibiting incompletely reversible airflow obstruction with increased variability (spirometrically defined ACOS) were enrolled. These patients were divided into asthma-ACOS and COPD-ACOS according to their physician's diagnosis and smoking history of 10 pack-years. Within-group comparisons were made for asthma-ACOS versus COPD-ACOS and light smokers versus heavy smokers. Results: Compared to patients with COPD-ACOS, patients with asthma-ACOS experienced exacerbation more often despite their younger age, history of light smoking, and better lung function. While the light-smoking group showed better lung function, they made unscheduled outpatient clinic visits more frequently. On multivariate analysis, asthma-ACOS and poor inhaler compliance were significantly associated with more than two unscheduled clinic visits during the previous year. Conclusion: Spirometrically defined ACOS includes heterogeneous subgroups with different clinical features. Phenotyping of ACOS by physician's diagnosis could be significant in predicting future risk of exacerbation.